Spotlight
by The Mutant Jinx
Summary: Priscilla "Silla" Williams has always been a little odd. Soon, she finds out why. Rated T for graphic violence.
1. Peculiar

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A/N: Wow, it's been a long time since I've written anything regarding CATS.

**Disclaimer: I don't own it. Let's leave it at that.**

**Enjoy!**

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I opened my eyes to the bright sunlight wafting down from the skylight in my attic bedroom. I pushed the black bedspread off of my short, slender body and tripped lightly to my rosewood wardrobe to pick out something to wear, humming to myself.

Everyone assumed that I was goth just because I wore a lot of black. I wasn't goth, or even punk. I just liked dark clothes. You could hide from the world better in them.

After dressing in a long-sleeved black tee-shirt, dark blue jeans, and black combat boots, I pulled up the trapdoor in the dusty wooden floor and climbed down the stairs. Then I pushed the stairs only partially back up; I had to use them to close the trapdoor.

I entered the bathroom and grabbed a hairbrush. Everybody thought that I dyed my collarbone-length hair, but I didn't. My hair was naturally a sandy, almost golden, blond, with bright red and black streaks, though the blond took up most of the space on my head.

After brushing my hair, I applied foundation to my ivory-toned face and lined my eyes with black, making the already huge chocolate brown orbs seem even bigger. I brushed on some mascara and headed down to the kitchen. Lip gloss could wait for after breakfast.

My mom, Michelle, had made eggs, biscuits, waffles, and turkey bacon. The bacon would go with everyone else's meals. I was a vegetarian. "Hey, Silla!" Michelle said in greeting just as my stomach rumbled. "I think someone's hungry."

"You think?" I asked sarcastically. I sniffed at the air. "This smells really good, Mom." I took a plate and helped myself to two biscuits, two scoops of eggs, and a large waffle.

"Wow," Michelle commented, smiling. "You really are hungry!"

"Yeah, well," I grinned. "You know what these full moons do to me."

I'd always had this weird ability to just sense when it was going to be a full moon--my energy level peaked, I was really hungry, and practically bounced off the walls. And tonight, April 14, was going to be a full moon.

"Hey, Mom." My priss of a thirteen-year-old sister, Hayley, strode into the room. She played with the frilly edge of her pink blouse before noticing my plate. "Priscilla freaking out over a phase of the moon again?"

I grimaced. I absolutely hated the name "Priscilla." That was the reason I begged to be called "Silla." But Hayley just had to call me "Priscilla."

"Hayley." Michelle gave Hayley a warning look. Hayley rolled her eyes, tossed her mahogany hair over her shoulder, and got herself a platter.

My dad, George, came down eventually. He had blue eyes, like Hayley, and plain mouse-brown hair, which was trimmed into a crew cut.

I guess I'd always known I was adopted. Even my mother didn't look anything like me, with her green eyes and hair like Hayley's. Every one of them had olive-toned complexions.

Not only did I not look like my family, but I just didn't click with them as well as they did with each other. I'd always been an outsider.

Soon, I was finished, and I went upstairs to brush my teeth, put on lip gloss, and grab my small black bag. I bid my farewells to my "family" and headed down the street to my friend Lizzie Brandon's house. Lizzie's dad was going to drop us off at the mall. Lizzie, with her eclectic style and electric personality, certainly made my life in the small town of Alexander, New York much more exciting.

When we got to the mall, Lizzie dragged me to the Hot Topic store. "You have got to get yourself a Twilight shirt," she gushed. The word "Twilight" instantaneously captured my attention. I loved Twilight.

After coming out of Hot Topic, we went into Aerie. I caught a glimpse of unusual hair in the window of American Eagle as we passed it. It was bright red with black and blond streaks, and some other color, which to me looked like silver. The owner of the locks turned her head, and I saw my face under her hair. It's okay, I reassured myself. It's probably just your reflection.

I managed to convince myself of this while Lizzie and I were in Aerie. We then went into American Eagle. I was relieved to see that the girl with the strange hair was gone. Still, I glanced around warily.

"Silla?" Lizzie said. "You okay?"

"What? Huh?" I met her worried blue-eyed gaze. "Oh. Yeah. Guess I was just daydreaming."

On the way back to our neighborhood, I stared out the window and thought about that girl. It wasn't every day that a person from Alexander ran into a look-alike.

It dawned on me that my life was about to get far more interesting.

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**I know this is a bit short, but this is just the beginning.**


	2. New Girl

**A/N: Here's Chapter Two.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

**Enjoy!**

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I grabbed my black backpack (which matched my black tank top, black skirt, black leggings, and trademark combat boots) and headed out the door that Monday with a blue-clad Hayley by my side. The school wasn't far from home, so we could walk.

I gratefully said goodbye to Hayley at the front door and headed into the central office. I'd left my iPod there on Friday, and the lost-and-found was located in the office.

I strode into the warm room filled with potted plants and froze. There was the red, black, blond, and silver hair I'd seen at the mall. The girl was talking to Ms. Patterson, with an obvious British accent, about her schedule.

"Thank you," the girl said. She turned to face me. Her brown eyes met mine. "Sillabub," she breathed.

Sillabub? I thought. "Actually, it's just Silla," I corrected.

"Yes, of course," the girl muttered, still staring at me like she couldn't believe I was here. "I'm Jemima." She held out her hand and I shook it cautiously. "It's okay!" she laughed. "I don't bite."

I looked over at the lost-and-found box, and sure enough, my iPod was there. I quickly grabbed it. "Well, I'd better get going." Then I hurried to Geometry.

I met up with Lizzie at lunch and we sat outside on the steps in the back of the building.

"Have you seen that new girl?" Lizzie inquired curiously as she ate her turkey sandwich. "I swear, she looks exactly like you."

"I have seen her," I said, finishing off my lettuce-and-cheese sandwich. "She seems pretty nice."

"Hey, there," said a quiet voice. I turned to see Jemima.

"Hi, Jemima," I said, surprised slightly by how different our voices sounded. Mine was still filled with childhood, and while her voice was a high soprano like mine, it was much more mature.

Our styles were different too, I noticed. I wore a lot of dark clothes and statement-making patterns and layers. Her style was lighter and softer. There seemed to be an almost romantic feel about her clothes.

"Can I sit with you guys?" Jemima asked.

"Sure," said Lizzie. "We could use some company around this lonely corner of the schoolyard."

Jemima sat down next to me and began picking delicately at her tray. She didn't say much, except when it was to ask a question. Kind of like me.

The rest of the school day passed uneventfully. I didn't even notice the rest of the world until supper that night.

"So, how was school?" George asked Hayley and me.

"It was pretty good," said Hayley. "Josh Thorton asked me out. But I turned him down."

George grinned with pride as my mother said, "And you, Silla?"

"It was good," I replied , swallowing a bite of cheese pizza. "I made a new friend."

"Oh?" Michelle seemed shocked beyond belief.

"Yeah," I continued. "Her name's Jemima Woodson. She's new. Lizzie says we look like we could be twins."

"Where's she from?" George inserted.

"England."

George and Michelle exchanged glances. "Is she a nice girl?" Michelle finally said.

"Yes," I responded. "She's very quiet. Polite, too."

"Not to mention short," Hayley put in. "I've seen her. She's the same height as you. And you're, what? Five-one?"

"Yes," I grumbled. Hayley was always rubbing it in my face that she was already three inches taller than me.

The real conversation ended there. At eight o'clock, I left the family room where we were watching a movie to take a shower. And at nine-thirty, Michelle ordered that Hayley and I go to bed.

I had a dream that night that I would never forget.

I saw two girls. Well, one of them was more of a woman. And they looked like cats. Sort of. They had patterns and fur and tails, but they resembled humans in a way. The woman was gold, black, red, and white. The girl had a similar pattern, but was more black and white and had spots of silver here and there. A defining trait was a large white spot on the girl's left hip.

The woman was weeping as the girl consoled her. "Don't worry, Mum," the girl murmured. "I'll find her. I'll find my sister and bring her back home."

"Oh," the woman sobbed. "Jem! Please, do find your sister! Find Sillabub!"

I woke up with a startled gasp. "Sillabub," I whispered, trembling as the name left my lips.

Wasn't that what Jemima had called me in the office?

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**Another shortie, I know.**

**Tell me what you think!**


	3. Occurance

**A/N: Here's Chapter Three! I hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

**Enjoy!**

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All that week, I had that dream. And all that week, I racked my brain for answers.

I was also very distant. I barely noticed if anyone called my name. I never said anything at breakfast or supper. I just couldn't figure it out.

Who was the crying woman? Who was the girl? Most importantly, who was Sillabub?

The dream changed over the weekend. The girl was no longer in the dream. Instead, it was a muscular man with a silver-and-black tabby pattern who comforted the woman.

"It's all right, Demeter," the man would say. "Jem will come back safely, and she'll bring Sillabub with her."

"I do hope you're right, Munkustrap," the woman would sniffle, leaning against the man.

The thought troubled me. Why was the woman so sad about this Sillabub? And "Munkustrap"..."Demeter"....Why did those names sound familiar?

I came back to the real world just enough for the next two weeks. Then Wednesday, May 3 rolled around--my birthday.

I listened to the intercom at school intently. "Today's birthdays are," the principal, Mr. Whitaker, announced, "Priscilla Williams and Jemima Woodson." I made a face when I heard "Priscilla." My heart stopped when I heard "Jemima."

Was it possible? If I had a twin, why wouldn't my parents tell me? Why wouldn't they at least tell me where I was from?

I ran into Jemima in the restroom. "Jemima, you have got to give me some answers. Who are you? Why are you here?" I knew a line was forming on my forehead from the stress.

Her brow furrowed, crinkling her round, pale face. "Now is not the time to tell you," she said. "Mistoffelees must visit you first....I'm not entirely sure if you're her, but I think you are."

"Who?" I asked. "Who do you think I am?"

Jemima's narrow chin quivered. "My sister."

Oh my God. I had a sister. Wow. I think. "I'm not sure," I admitted. "I mean, it's not like a gut feeling or anything. Wait a second. Who's Mistoffelees?"

A rueful smile appeared on her lips. "I can't tell you. But I think you'll find out soon enough." Then she left without another word.

I pondered this and remained silent throughout the rest of the day.

That night, I had a dream in which I had total control.

I was floating in blackness. I thought I was alone, but soon, one of those cat-people showed up. It was a boy, perhaps who had just entered manhood. He was completely black, except for his chest, face, legs, and right forearm.

"Huh," he said. "Jemima did find you."

What? I thought. "Um...."

"Oh," he chuckled. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Mistoffelees. Obviously, you are Sillabub."

"I am?" My voice echoed into nothingness. "Wait--who am I, exactly? People seem to be avoiding responding to that question."

"I'm afraid you're going to have to wait just a bit longer for the answer," said Mistoffelees.

"WAIT? I can't wait! I need to know now!" Tears of anger welled up in my eyes. "Please! Just tell me now! I was so sure who I was, but now I don't know! Tell me!"

Mistoffelees frowned. "I'm very sorry, Silla." Then he disappeared.

I bolted upright in bed, breathing raggedly. Involuntarily, my tear ducts caused my eyes to overflow and I was stuck weeping with frustration.

On Friday, I slipped a note to Jemima. It said,

Meet me at the mall tomorrow. I have to talk to you.

George dropped me off at the mall the next day, and I scoured to place for Jemima. I finally found her lounging around outside of the Hollister store.

"Okay, Jemima," I huffed. "Mistoffelees 'visited' me last night. Now can you tell me who I am?"

"Hmm." Jemima thought for a moment. "I'm hungry, and I think you must be, too." Now that she mentioned it, my stomach gurgled. "Why don't we discuss this over lunch?"

"Okay," I agreed.

We went down to the food court. We were both in the mood for fast food, so Jemima ordered some chicken nuggets and I ordered a side salad from the little Chick-Fil-A and sat down at a table next to the Carlton Cards.

"Where do you want me to start?" she asked.

"The beginning," I said. "I want the whole story."

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**And there's Chapter Three! Tell me what you think!**


	4. Origin

**A/N: Here's Chapter Four! This one is a lot longer than the others. I hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CATS.**

**Enjoy!**

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"You and I were born under a full moon a few months before the ball," said Jemima. "The moon was the first thing both of us saw. Our parents were Munkustrap, the tribe protector, and Demeter.

"They named me Jemima, a perfectly ordinary name. They named you Sillabub. No one else has a name like it.

"Sixteen years ago to the day, we were under the care of our grandmother, Jennyanydots. Everything was fine. But then Macavity came.

"He was merciless. You see, Munkustrap had beaten Macavity in a fight, and he wanted revenge. Jenny tried to get us to safety; she hid me with two others named Coricopat and Tantomile first. However, by the time she got back to where you were, Macavity had spirited you away."

"Sixteen years ago?" I thought aloud. "Then...never mind. Keep going."

"Time moves much, much more slowly for us. Sixteen years is about three years for us," Jemima explained. She stopped, probably wondering where to pick up.

"This Macavity had just kidnapped me," I reminded her. Why did the name feel sinister on my tongue?

"Right. Well, after this happened, perhaps a week or so before the ball, I had a vision. I still remember it.

"I saw Macavity take you to the outskirts of the junkyard. He muttered a kind of strange incantation over you, and you turned into a human baby. It started to rain, and he left you on the sidewalk to catch your death. Another human found you and she took you into a hospital. About what I assumed to be two weeks later in human time, humans called George and Michelle Williams adopted you and took you back to their home in America.

"Now, since winter, I've been searching for you. I promised our mother I would find you. Father wouldn't let me go alone, so I chose my best friend, Victoria, and Mistoffelees, who has magical powers, to come with me." She smiled sadly, most likely remembering the sorrow of not knowing where I was. "And now I've found you. And I've got to get you home before midsummer, before the ball."

I sighed. "At least now I know my back story," I said sarcastically. "But I still don't know who I am. Or, actually, I don't know what I am. You said Macavity turned me into a human baby. What was I before?"

Jemima laughed nervously, "That's the part you won't believe."

"Tell me," I whispered. "Please."

"You were born--and still are, on the inside--a Jellicle cat," said Jemima. She looked up at me cautiously, as though she expected me to crack up.

Instead, I had an epiphany.

"Now everything makes sense!" I exclaimed, rising from my chair in excitement, only to meet quite a few people's concerned stares. "What are you looking at?" I snapped. They immediately returned to their business and I sat down again.

Jemima cocked her head to one side. "What do you mean, everything makes sense?"

I recounted, "Ever since I was little, I've been humming tunes and going through words that I never understood." I began to hum.

Finishing the next bar, Jemima softly sang, "The Jellicle Moon is shining bright."

Together, we chanted, "Jellicles come to the Jellicle Ball."

"The Jellicle Ball," I murmured, getting up to throw my empty box away. Jemima followed my lead. I continued, "Jellicle cats are black and white. Jellicle cats are rather small. Jellicle cats are merry and bright and pleasant to hear when we caterwaul." I turned to her. "Tell me about the ball."

"The ball, frankly, is indescribable," Jemima said. "We sing and we dance.... It's a magical experience." We were heading up the escalator by now.

I thought for a moment. "Why do I have to go back before midsummer?"

The corners of Jemima's mouth turned down slightly. "It's going to be the most crucial ball in our lives," she said softly. "We'll be entering queenhood--er, adulthood. And we'll have to choose mates. Or, rather, you'll have to choose. I've already accepted an offer."

"Mates." I could barely force the word past my lips. "You mean, like, getting married, sorta?" Jemima nodded. Suddenly, I couldn't breathe.

When I finally got my lungs working again, I hissed, "I--we're--sixteen! We cannot get married at sixteen!"

Jemima erupted into fits of giggles. "I can see it's going to take a while to explain everything to you!"

I took deep breaths. In through the nose, out through the mouth. In through the nose, out through the mouth.

"Do you want some chocolate?" Jemima inquired. "We're right outside of a Godiva."

"Uh-huh." Oh, chocolate. Sweet, sweet chocolate.

"How can I help you, ladies?" a woman with kinky, coal-black hair said when we entered. She quickly took her position behind a counter. I could tell she was processing our identical faces. Twins were aliens in Alexander.

"Um, I'll take five of those dark chocolate bon-bons with the cream filling," Jemima ordered sweetly. The woman bagged the chocolates and smiled, causing dimples to appear on her mocha-colored face.

"The dark chocolate truffles with caramel filling," I said bluntly, pulling my wallet out of my bag.

"Are you sure?" The woman (whose name tag read "Tia," I noticed) took in my tiny stature. "It's eighty-eight percent cacao."

Floating, falling, sweet intoxication.... "Yes," I beamed. "I am absolutely sure."

Tia bagged my candy, told Jemima and me that it was $6.50, and we paid and left.

I popped the truffle in my mouth and moaned, "Oh, yeah." The whole "mate" thing was instantly cleared from my mind and replaced with a wave of bittersweet bliss. As I sucked on the chocolate, I thought, So this is what it's like right before you get high. I'd never had chocolate this dark before, and I'd missed out on a lot.

"Okay," I said as Jemima swallowed the last of her first bon-bon. We perched on a white bench. "I've got chocolate on the brain. You can tell me about your fiance-cat-person."

"His name is Pouncival," Jemima said. Her face flushed when she said the name. "He's a year--in cat-years--older than us. He's been my best friend for as long as I can clearly remember. He's nice and smart and fun to be around. And he's very clever, and he treats me with a lot of respect. I miss him very much." She gingerly placed another bon-bon on her tongue and closed her eyes, the corners of her shell-pink lips slowly stretching across her face.

"I suppose I'm kind of responsible for your separation," I muttered guiltily.

"Oh, no!" Jemima contradicted. "If you trace it back to the root of the problem, Macavity is responsible." That made me feel a tiny bit better.

I went to the strangest school in the world. It actually had prom for sophomores up to the seniors. So I suggested, "Want to go look at prom dresses?" Jemima gave me an odd look. "We'll have time to go to prom before taking a plane across the ocean," I defended.

Jemima stood up. "Lead the way!"

We linked arms and the serious air soon disappeared. We talked and laughed and pointed out pretty, funky, and just-plain-weird things in the windows. We talked about our lives while we had been apart.

By the time we made it to Princess Diaries, I felt the final pieces of an unbreakable sisterly bond fall into place at last.

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**And there it is! Tell me what you think!**


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